All,
Hope your 4th was a good one and you still have all your fingers and both eyes.
I acquired a Remington 870 12 Gauge Police Magnum purchased new by a police department in 1987. No idea how many rounds have been through it. Maybe some of you know how often officers need to run a few rounds through their shotguns but I don’t. I’m not a gun smith so when I look at it inside and out I can’t say if the wear I see is normal, not much or plum wore out. What would be the part or parts you would just go ahead and replace on a 35 yr old 870 that spent it’s life as a police service firearm as opposed to one that gets used a few days a year for hunting?
Tough to say. Depends on the department at the time. Some really babied their good toys and had a few they used as trainers that saw more abuse than most. Some pics would really help if you’d be so kind and have the means.
The 870 police models were some of the best ever made, right up there with the Wingmasters. And they were built to hold up. Just shoot the thing and take it from there. If it’s fine, leave it alone. I doubt you would find better made parts. Especially today.
Amazon on Search;
1). Envistia Mall Bore Rope Gun Barrel Cleaner for 12 Gauge Shotgun Gun Cleaning Tool 12GA ($7.49)
2). Remington Arms 19531- Bore Light - Extended Flex, 10" X 3" X .75" ($20.15)
3). Froglube CLP 4 Oz. Tub of Paste Gun Cleaner Lubricant Protectant ($13.98)
4). Conair Travel Hair Dryer with Dual Voltage, 1600W Compact Hair Dryer with Folding Handle, Travel Blow Dryer ($14.99) Clean it.
That’s all you need to do.
You have a good ole’ Shot Gun, that’s been babied by the Police, better finish, higher quality control, etc. Get to know it
Familiarize yourself with the 870 by watching some YouTube videos.
I wish I bought one of those instead of my 870 Express, as they just didn’t make them like they used to, and now they don’t make them at all, so I’d say you have a collectors item.
Thank you for taking the time to share some knowledge and advice. I think I’ll do exactly that. I’ll break it down completely, clear her up and go run some rounds through it. It has one of those lights on it that doubles for the fore-grip and it rattles and shakes. I may just put a matching poly grip that fits that model and serial number and throw the light in a drawer.
Great idea.
Sounds like you have the polymer version, not wood.(?)
If you did stray away from the original fore-grip (like the LEO who used it did) I recommend the Magpul.
I put the Magpul forend on my Express, and it’s real effective.
I must say though; all 870 forends “rattle” a bit, it’s not a tight design so expect it.
I dunno, 35 years of cop abuse could mean it’s done wore slap out. Most likely it is pretty much done for. Might be a few parts left on it still worth salvaging. I’ll be more than happy to take it off your hands. I’ll even offer you my fathers barely used Rem 1100 in .410. But be advised-I refuse to be low balled. I know what I got!
Has the polymer butt stock that holds 4 extra rounds (2 on each side) pushed right into the stock. I’m gonna hang on to the butt end and replace the fore grip with a magpul. I looked closer today and with the light off and and a temp grip screwed on the rattle is 90% gone.
Shame it has the polymer grip and not the wood. Those old police model foregrips go for some decent change. Ask me how I know. And they just have that classic look and feel.
Powerplantman,
I worked for Remington for a few years and taught armorer’s courses and fixed more than a few 870s. Most of them were newer guns when Remington got amnesia and forgot how to make them. (One of the reasons I quit) The older guns are pretty much “bulletproof”. The biggest wear items are probably going to be shell stops (feed interrupters) but it’s hard to find an 870 that has been shot enough to wear them out. My suggestion is to get yourself some dummies and do a good function check. If it all works, shoot it and don’t worry about it. Most agencies didn’t shoot their shotguns enough to wear them out. FPs will occasionally break but it’s not that common. You will find that the ejector spring will sometimes break but this if often because someone caught a cleaning rag on it and bent it. Unfortunately this is a factory replacement part because it’s riveted in and replacing it will require the receiver be reblued if you want it to look right.
This morning after cleaning it thoroughly I took it to a range and ran 50 rounds of various brands of bird shot / clay shot and it never missed a beat, I’ve had a few 870’s over the years but this being a real live police magnum makes it special to me. I’m going to track down the wood furniture like it came with and that may be all I do to it, other than a little more user friendly butt pad. At 67 there’s not as much muscle up there like it used to be.
I appreciate your input and suggestions and the time you took to do it.
Powerplantman,
My pleasure Pal. I’m 72 now and that recoil thing is getting a little tough on me too. I’m retired LE and taught firearms for almost 40 years at two different LE academies plus the S&W and Sig Academies. The shotguns we used at the police academy were all older 870s and had thousands of rounds down range. I was responsible for all the repairs ( I didn’t volunteer for that) and can think of very few times when I had to actually repair one of those old 870s. I’m glad it ran okay for you and wish you luck in making it what you want. Take Care!
Taj
A buddy of mine bought a new 870 about 8 or so years ago to keep handy around the house and that thing was complete piece of junk. All the metal specially the barrel had a nice covering of surface rust within weeks of him buying it. About every 3rd shot would be some kind of jam or malfunction. I cleaned it up and oiled it up good for him and he traded it for an older mossberg. There aint a new firearm today that is made as good as the old stuff when there was less mass production and more quality control and pride in workmanship.
The older stuff (especially top end stuff) was more art that tool It seems. Nothing like holding an old shotty in your hands to appreciate the workmanship. Now it seems to be more tool and not very much art.
It’s pretty much like that with everything consumers are expected to swallow now. I’m a big car guy and like you said about guns, cars are the same way. They used to be works of art. Made with pride and imagination, built to last. Made with real steel and very unique. My buddy’s and I could tell a 50’s or 60’s model car or pickup a mile away and what engine it probably had in it. Now when you roll along the interstate and surrounded by a dozen cars they all look alike and are all ugly little turds on wheels.
Handy Dave
A major Sheriff’s department in kalyfornya bought a couple of hundred new 870’s back when I was still working for Remington. The armory staff function checked every one of them before putting them on the street. It was really embarrassing. I ended up laying hands on the majority of them just to make them run. The staff and I got to know each other really well. I spent a lot of time there and ended up sending a number of the guns back to the factory because they couldn’t be fixed in the field. QC on guns and ammo was really bad in those days. I hope the new Remington company is able to correct those issues. Federal bought the ammo plant in Arkansas and sent folks from CCI, Speer and Federal there to get get their act together and word in the industry is they are making good ammo again.
